(ReliableNews.org) – Iranian-backed militias have repeatedly attacked US troops over the last several months. Recently, bombs exploded near a new US consulate in Erbil, Iraq. The Iranian government has now taken responsibility for those bombings.
On Monday, January 15, ballistic missiles hit areas near the US consulate. At least four civilians were killed, and six others suffered injuries. The Kurdistan Security Council announced one of the fatalities was local businessman Peshraw Dizayee. The multimillionaire businessman, who owned security services companies and real estate, was in his home when one of the missiles struck it. His 1-year-old daughter also died in the blast. The businessman’s wife and two sons suffered serious injuries but are still alive.
The next day, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced they were responsible for the strikes. They claimed that they were targeting “spy headquarters and the gathering of anti-Iranian terrorist groups” in the most populated city in Kurdistan. In a statement, the Guards claimed the strikes were a “response to the recent atrocities of the Zionist regime,” referring to Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
The Iraqi government condemned the military action in the semi-autonomous region. Officials vowed to take action against the country for violating its sovereignty and the nation’s security. It plans to file a complaint at the United Nations Security Council.
On Tuesday, three armed drones were neutralized over Erbil airport. The US is using the facility as a place to house troops who are in the region to fight ISIS. The US State Department issued a statement condemning the attacks on Erbil, calling them “reckless missile strikes, which undermine Iraq’s stability.”
Hiwa Osman, a political analyst in Erbil, told CBS News that the blasts didn’t have anything to do with the Kurds or Israel. Instead, it’s more of the “US-Iran tit-for-tat in the region,” the analysts stated. He went on to call it a “calculated Iranian act” that was in the “parameters of the [US’] tolerance, at the expense of the Kurds.”
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